Fork.



l Patented May |4, 19m. F. B. RISING.

FORK. (Application med .my 1o, 1899.)

(No Modal.)

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w/z/cesses1 'U 7" v 714x@ eaefwlszfg UNITED STATI-3s PATENT UFFICI-2.-

FREDERICK B. RISING, OF ANTRIM, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO GOODELLCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,344, dated May 14,1901.

l Application filed July 10, 1899. Serial No. 723,280. (No model.)

To cir/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK B. RISING, of Antrim, county of Hillsboro,State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Forks, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention has for its object to improve the knife-guard of forksused as complemental to a carving-knife. The guard is composed of aforked lever pivoted upon and surrounding the shank of the fork.Heretofore various devices have been employed for retaining this guardin its operative-position to act as a shield for the knife.

My invention herein contained relates more especially to a novel means.for keeping the guard in its operative position.

The novel means devised by me consists, essentially, of two short studslocated', respectively, in and extended from the opposite ends of a holemade through the shank, a spiral spring being located in said hole, theopposite ends of the spring acting, respectively, upon the two pins, sothat said pins are normallyso acted upon bythe spring that their endsare forced outwardly from the opening of the shank, said pins coactingwith inclines at the inner sides of the forked part of the guard,keeping the guard either in its active position or in its closedposition.

Figure l of the drawings shows a fork with the guard in its operativeposition. Fig. 2 shows a section through the fork in the line u; torepresent the pins in their operative position; and Fig. 3 shows theguard in upright position, the shank being shown on the section-lineFig. l.

The fork A may have any desired number of tines, preferably two, said4tines extending from a shank A', provided with a suitable handle B, ofany usual material and shape. The guard C is forked at its lower end atC', and the guard is mounted on the shank of the fork by means of apivot-pin a, extended through the shank. The inner sides of the forkedpart of the guard are beveled, as best shown in Fig. 2, in oppositedirections from a center point.

The parts above referred to are andlnay be all as usual in forks.

In accordance with my invention I have bored a hole b entirely throughthe shank substantially parallel with the pivot a and below it. In thishole I place a spiral spring c and at the opposite ends of said springsuitable pins c2 c3. The free ends of these pins act against one or theother incline at the inner sides of the forked part C of the guard C,and the said spring is always compressed, so that it exerts at itsopposite' ends outward pressure on both the pins c2 c3, so that they arealways kept in operative position with relation to the faces of theforked part of the guard.

The drawings, Figs. l and 2, show the guard erect in its operativeposition,with the points of the pins working against the inclined facesstantially lit the shank, as when the fork is not in use, the thickestportion of the forked part of the guard acting upon the ends of the pinsc2 cs pushes said pins into the hole b, compressing the spring; but assoon as the thickest part of the forked end of the shank has passed thesaid pinsthe spring immediately throws them out that they may coperatewith the opposite inclined parts of the guard,maintaining the guard inits closed or inoperative position.

It will be seen upon inspection of Fig. 2 that my fork includes apivoted guard provided with oppositely-disposed beveled.A faces and aspring-actuated pin carried by the fork and adapted to alternatelyengage each of the beveled faces for the purpose of firmly holding saidguard in its respective extreme positions. To shift the guard, it issimply necessary to apply a comparatively light pressure-thereto, whichcauses the spring-actuated bolt to enter its seat in the shank of thefork. It will be evident also that both branches of the guard arefurnished with these beveled faces, and they are arranged in pairs tooperate in unison against two pins normally pressed outward by a singlespring acting against the ends thereof.

IOO

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

A fork having a transverse hole made Gompletely through its shankportion, a bifurcztted guard pivoted on and straddling said shank nearsaid transverse hole, the bran ehes of said bifurcated guard each havingoppositely-iuelined beveled faces, two pins slidingly tted in said hole,:L spring fitted between the pins and bearing against their in ner facesto 'force them outward equally on` both sides of the shank and cause theouter ends of the pins to bear against the beveled faces of thebifureated guard.

In testimony whereof I have signed my neme to this speeiiioation in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK B. RISING.

Vitn esses:

HENRY A, I-IURLIN, MARY J. ABBOTT.

